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NON-Governmental Organisation, World Vision recently officially handed over five classroom blocks built to a tune of $300 000 to Mhandarume Secondary School.
The project was solely funded by Mr Raymond King Chung, through World Vision Hong Kong, which funds Chimanimani and Nyanyadzi Area Development Programmes. The school project was completed in a record time of one year, a true testament to community collaboration.
Speaking at the official opening, Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Cde Mandi Chimene, said: “By and by, I would like to hear that the performance at this school has improved exponentially.
“Take good care of these facilities and make the most of them as educators and students. What has been constructed here has given you an extra leg up. Let us see it bear fruit.”
The five classroom blocks include a library, a computer laboratory, an administration block and 2×2 classroom blocks. Beyond the infrastructure, World Vision also provided over 1 000 books relevant to the school syllabus, two overhead projectors, 20 desktop computers with the necessary accessories and furnished all the rooms with desks, chairs, and cabinets.
The project also brought electricity to the school and as a security measure a fence was erected around the school grounds.
Before these developments, Mhandarume Secondary School consisted of two classroom blocks which also housed the administration office.
“It was quite congested then, but as of January parents who had enrolled their children at schools in other areas because of the poor infrastructure here have now enrolled them here, closer home,” said Mr Rodwell Matsikure, the school head.
With only two classroom blocks, there was only one class for each form and in each class an average of 75 children. Students would cram into the room and with little to no furniture, sit on the floor and try to follow the lesson as best they could and take notes if comfortable enough to write. There was no library to speak of or a computer lab.
For this reason some parents chose to send their children to schools further away, but with better facilities, either at Nhedziwa or Chakohwa. The distance to those schools was quite long and this resulted in a number of dropouts particularly among girls
For the teachers, managing a large class was difficult.
Mrs Mwaruta, who teaches Mathematics, said: “I found it hard to monitor a huge group and at the same time give them adequate attention in their learning. There was never enough time to check on their individual progress.”
What served as a staff room could not accommodate all staff and meetings were often held outside under a tree. This presented a challenge in storing learning materials and the safekeeping of exam question papers and scripts. At one time parents made an effort to raise funds for the construction of an additional classroom block, but sadly the project failed.
Faced with these challenges, it was no surprise that when in 2013 World Vision Zimbabwe through the local council leadership, proposed the school project, the community welcomed it. An agreement was then made, that the community would contribute bricks as well as pay the builders, while World Vision provided all the other necessary building materials.
Each of the five villages involved, contributed money to buy bricks and partook in the digging of the foundation.
When buying bricks proved expensive, the community opted to mould them with the expert help of brick moulders among them.
Village heads assisted with co-ordination as villages took turns to draw the water required for construction.
In the 10 years since it was established, the school, situated in Ward 2 of Chimanimani district, has recorded an increase in enrolment numbers over a short period. At the start of the first term of 2015, there were 230 students. Then within a month, after word came out that the newly completed school blocks are ready for use, the number increased to 248.
Aside from tracking academic performance at the school, Cde Chimene declared that she will make regular visits to the school to ensure that not only the school but also the children are well looked after.
“This school is the responsibility of the entire community. That way it will transform the lives of many generations to come. Children are the future, protect them from harm and allow them to enjoy childhood unhindered so they may reach their full potential.”
Also speaking at the ceremony, Mr Khumbulani Ndhlovu, World Vision Director of Operations, representing Mr Edward Brown, the National Director, emphasised the importance of building the school particularly at a time when World Vision is celebrating 40 years of operations in Zimbabwe.
“These structures we witness today will facilitate more efficient and effective high-quality and relevant education aimed towards contributing to the well-being of children in ward 2 and other surrounding communities.”
He went on to recount other developments spearheaded by the Chimanimani ADP, such as the construction of Nhedziwa clinic in partnership with Ministry of Health and Child Care and Chimanimani Rural District Council. The clinic was officially handed over to RDC in 2012.
The clinic reduced walking distances for community members who used to track to Mutambara Mission, which is the nearest health facility. Ward 4 communities can now access Primary Health Care services as the clinic has become a centre for community health education, including immunisation services to children under the age of five years.
Also, in response to cholera outbreak in 2009, the project constructed 150 units of Blair toilets and drilled 10 new boreholes under the Water and Sanitation Project and rehabilitated many facilities in this area.
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